Display rack



S. P. BROWN Oct. 28, 1941.

DISPLAY RACK Filed July 15, 1939 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY RACK Simon P. Brown, New York, N. Y. Application July 15, 1939, Serial No. 284,605

4 Claims.

My invention relates generally to display devices. More particularly, it relates to an improvement in display racks adapted to display unwound, but uncut, portions of bolted fabrics or piece goods, and simultaneously, to store and display the remaining wound portions of the bolts of piece goods. It is also adapted to display articles, such as curtains, draperies, laces and the like.

The common practice in merchandising bolted goods is to store the bolts on shelves, tables or counters, and to unwind portions thereof for examination by prospective purchasers. This practice is cumbersome, tedious, as well as costly, as a large number of bolts are usually examined. .A large amount of space is necessary for storing bolted goods, and considerable time is wasted in removing and replacing the bolts to their permanent positions.

Other disadvantages are the difficulty in readily moving quantities of bolted goods from one location to more desirable ones, the inability to stand an almost exhausted bolt upright, and the resulting untidiness and damage that comes from stacking bolted goods one upon the other.

Numerous contrivances have been devised in attempts to overcome these disadvantages. However, none of these contrivances fully or effectively overcomes these difliculties. Moreover, such contrivances are costly to manufacture, difficult to assemble, operate or use.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a display rack adapted to store or stock quantities of bolts of goods, and simultaneously to display such goods both in the bolt and in unwound, but uncut, portions thereof, in the manner hereinafter described.

A further object is to provide a display rack adapted to store a quantity of bolted goods in an upright position, regardless of the thickness of the bolts, and adapted to display such bolts so that the same are clearly visible and readily available to the prospective purchaser. With this device, a larger number of bolts may be stored and displayed without the necessity of displacing any bolts for examination. This device is especially adapted for self service, thereby releasing the sales force for other duties.

Another object is to provide a display rack that permits displays of bolts of goods of uneven heights to present a neat and attractive appearance.

A further object is to provide a display rack which is readily and easily adapted to be moved to any desired location.

A further object of my invention is to provide a display rack which is also adapted to store and display articles such as curtains, draperies, laces, and the like.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a display rack having relatively few and. simple parts, space saving, inexpensive to manufacture, attractive in design, and simple to assemble, adjust and use.

Further objects of my invention will become apparent in the following detailed description thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a complete dis play rack, embodying my invention, indicating one bolt of goods in place, it being readily apparent that following the principles disclosed herein, a quantity of bolts may be displayed as Well.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional View taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating the means whereby a bolt of goods is held in an upright position.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown a display rack Ill, embodying my invention, comprising two similar two part uprights 20, 23, 20, 23, a main horizontal platform member 30, and an upper member 35.

Members 2|], 20 are T shaped at their lower extremities, 2|, 2|, between which, stretchers 25, may be placed for additional rigidity. These T shaped lower extremities 2|, 2| are fitted with castors 22 which render the entire device Ill readily movable.

Uprights 2U, 20, are of hollow tubular construction, adapted to receive the movable uprights 23, 23. Members 23, 23 are adapted to slide up or down within the lower fixed uprights 20, 20, and can be fixed in position by means of adjustable clamps 24, 24, on members 20, 20. I 4

Main platform is supported horizontally between the two uprights 20, 20, by sliding fittings 3|, 3|, which have clamp means 32, 32, to fix platform 30 firmly at any desired level above the floor. Main platform 30 is substantially rectangular in shape, the longer arms of which are designated as 34, 34. Two additional arms 33, 33 are affixed parallelly inward of arms 34 on member 30 to add rigidity to platform 30 and to provide additional base support means for the piece goods bolts.

Parallel arms 33, 34 and 33, 34 of platform 30 have corresponding apertures 40 adapted to receive a number of inverted U shaped members 50, shown in greater detail in Fig. 2. Members 50 are held in place upright in the apertures goods, it being obvious that if a bolt of piece goods is of more than usual thickness, the adjacent inverted U shaped members 50 may be readily removed for accommodation. The inverted U shaped members 50 are of sufficient height to support a piece goods bolt upright without danger of tipping or falling. In order to keep members '50 fitting snugly within the apertures 40 of arms 33, 34 and 33, 34, the arms of members 56 may be made slightly wider or narrower at their free ends than at the base.

To upper ends of uprights 23, 23, are-fitted 36, 36, to receive and support .a 'rectangularly shaped member 35, over which the unwound,

but uncut, portions of the bolts are thrown for display. This permits the concealing of the untidy appearance presented where bolts are of unequal heights.

The level of top member 35 above the floor may be readily adjusted by means of clamp ,members 24, 24. Likewise, the distance between members 35 and 30 and the distance between platform 30 and the floor may be readily varied .by means of clamp members 32, 32. Top member-35 and its supporting uprights 23, 23, may be removed completely from uprights 2B, 29, and platform 30 may then be raised to any desired level to display the bolts table fashion.

The device in use is clearly shown in Fig. l, WhiChil'ldiCEtfiGS a single piece goods bolt held in place over one of the inverted U shaped members 50 on platform 39, and an unwound, but uncut, portion of the material from the bolt thrown over top member 35 for display.

More or less variation of the exact details of construction are permissible without departing from the spirit of my invention. I desire therefore not to limit myself to the exact form of construction shown and described, but intend to point out in the claims below all of the invention disclosed herein. It should also be understood that all the separate parts may be made of anydesired materials in any desired shapes.

I hereby claim as new and novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a floor display rack of the character described, the combination of a platform comprising horizontally disposed parallel longitudinal'rods, each of said rods being provided with openings along the length thereof, the openings in one rod corresponding to the openings in the other of said rods, a support for said platform, aplurality of inverted U shaped members having their free ends selectively and removably received in pairs of corresponding openings, the

portions of said U shaped members projecting above said platform being adapted to be individually received within said piece goods bolts.

2. In a floor display rack of the character described, the combination of a lower platform comprising horizontally disposed parallel longitudinal rods, each of said rods being provided with openings along the length. thereof, the openings in one rod corresponding to the openings. in the other of said rods, support for said platform, a plurality of inverted U shaped members having their free ends selectively and removably received in pairs of corresponding openings the portions of said U shaped mem- Y bers projecting above said platform being adapted to be individually received within said piece goods bolts, and an upper member maintained on said support in spaced relationship with said lower platform, said upper member being adapted'to receive a portion of the piece good from the bolt draped thereover for display purposes.

3. In a floor display rack of the character described, the combination of a lower platform comprising horizontally disposed parallel longitudinal rods, each of said rods being provided with openings along the length thereof, the openings in one rod corresponding to the openings in the other of said rods, support for said platform, a plurality of inverted U shaped members having their free ends selectively and removably received in pairs of corresponding openings, the portions of said U shaped members projecting above said platform being adapted to be individually received within said piece goods bolts, and anupper member maintained on said support in spaced relationship with said lower platform, said upper member being adapted to receive a portion of the piece goods from the bolt draped thereover for display purposes, and means for varying the distance received within a piece goods bolt and to sup-' port individual piece goods bolts upright and an upper member maintained between said supports, said upper member being capable of receiving a portion of the piece goods bolts thereover for display purposes, said rack being so mounted as to move freely as a unit.

SIMON P. BROWN. 

